"So... why are we here, exactly?"

Myungsoo squirmed.

Sungjong was looking at him from across the table, tone slightly impatient. Not that Myungsoo blamed him: Sungjong had already been nice enough to agree to Myungsoo's mumbled request, riding the subway all the way to Incheon without even questioning it, just for the two of them to end up sitting in a café like this. He hadn't even said anything when they'd walked in only to be greeted by a surly Jiae, her expression as she welcomed them one that would best have suited a funeral, or even when she had slammed the menu on their table as if it had personally offended her, later, although Myungsoo hadn't missed the way Sungjong's eyebrows had raised slightly at the sight. Myungsoo had been here enough times to know Jiae simply looked perpetually bored and/or annoyed with the whole world, that she didn't mean anything by it, but Sungjong couldn't be expected to know that. "If you just wanted to get coffee, couldn't we have gone to Starbucks or something? Why Incheon airport of all places?"

"Well… " Myungsoo stalled, trying to find the right words. "T-that's true, but… you see…"

Myungsoo had never been very good with words, and this was particularly hard to explain, especially to someone who hadn't seen him–hadn't seen the way his eyes sparkled when he smiled, showing his gums; how his slender body and long, long legs moved around the cafè so gracefully. "This place here… well–"

"Ah, Myungsoo!"

Myungsoo froze–and jumped off his seat and gulped all at once, if that were possible. Because it was that voice, the voice he would have recognised anywhere, even thought it hadn't been that long since he'd first heard it, that time he'd randomly walked into the first café he could find while he waited to board his flight to Japan. And indeed, when he turned around there he was, getting nearer and nearer, making Myungsoo's heart do flip flops inside his chest.

"It's nice to see you again so soon," Sungyeol said as he stopped in front of their table. "How have you been?"

"Uh… I… I'm–I'm fine," Myungsoo stuttered. He was probably wearing the dumbest dumbfounded expression in the history of time, but he couldn't help it.

"That's great!" Sungyeol's grinned. Myungsoo almost had to squint, it was that bright. "And this is… ?"

"I'm Lee Sungjong," Sungjong said smoothly. For the thousandth time since he'd first met him, Myungsoo felt grateful for Sungjong's friendship–for someone who could walk through the most awkward situations with his feathers unruffled, a perfect match for Myungsoo's clumsiness. "I'm a hoobae of Myungsoo hyung's. We go to the same university."

"Ah, nice to meet you!" Sungyeol exclaimed, reaching out to grab Sungjong's hand and shake it vigorously. "It's great to finally get to meet a friend of Myungsoo's. I'm Sungyeol, by the way."

"It's a pleasure," Sungjong said. "So I get it that Myungsoo hyung comes here often?"

"No kidding," Sungyeol said, sending  Myungsoo a conspiratorial smile, and Myungsoo really did not know how he hadn't combusted yet. "He comes here once a week–at least. You really like my coffee, don't you, Myungsoo?"

"Uh, y-yeah," Myungsoo mumbled, hoping that Sungjong wouldn't give him away. Because everyone who knew Myungsoo also knew that he couldn't stand anything even remotely bitter in taste; coffee was a no-no, unless it was drowned by generous quantities of milk and sugar.

Luckily, Sungyeol must have mistaken Myungsoo's reaction for his usual shyness, because he just laughed, reaching out to ruffle Myungsoo's hair in that way that made Myungsoo feel like his heart was going to burst in his chest. "Aww, he's just adorable, isn't he? Is he always like this, Sungjong?"

Sungjong gave Myungsoo a knowing look. "Not exactly," he said, and Myungsoo was 100% sure that Sungjong had already figured it all out, as always.

"Sungyeol!" Jiae called out suddenly. "A mochaccino and a chai latte for table 4! Right now!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Sungyeol shouted back. He sent Sungjong and Myungsoo an apologetic smile. "Sorry guys, duty calls me. I'll be back as soon as Jiae lets me off the hook–with your drinks. What would you like?"

"What do you recommend?" Sungjong asked, looking at the menu.

"Well, cappuccino is my–and Myungsoo's–favourite," Sungyeol said, "But the costumers seem to like the strawberry mochaccino."

"Oh, the one that's so popular these days. I'll get that, then."

"Alright! Myungsoo? The usual?"

Myungsoo nodded, and then Sungyeol was gone, flying behind the counter to prepare the drinks.

When Myungsoo finally found the courage to look up and meet Sungjong's eyes, the younger was smiling.

"So the reason why we came here has a name, uh?"

Myungsoo blushed, hard, and Sungjong laughed. "Hyung–you should have just told me. How long have you been coming here?"

"Not long," Myungsoo muttered. "Just a few weeks or so." Then, at Sungjong's look, "OK, well, m-maybe longer than that–closer to a month–uh, anyway. W-what do you think of him?"

Sungjong shrugged. "What's there to say? I mean, he's stunning, and he seems nice, too. A bit too much on the loud side for me, but I can see where the attraction lies. So, what are you waiting for?"

"Uh… ?"

"I mean, when are you going to ask him out?"

Myungsoo almost choked. "A-a-a-ask him… I–I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Well, he… he's so handsome, and I… "

Sungjong was giving him a look. "Hyung, I know you're very modest and all, but surely you know that all those girls that have been asking you out since year one aren't after you for your personality, right?"

Myungsoo shrugged. To him, those girls (and guys, too, sometimes) were more of a burden than anything else. It was weird, scary almost, how they'd suddenly act like they were in love with him or something when Myungsoo had never even seen their face before. He also knew that people seemed to think he was good-looking, or something, but he'd always found that weird, too. And anyway, his looks were nothing compared to Sungyeol's.

"Rather than that," he began, "I… I was thinking… I was thinking that maybe I could ask him if–if I can take a picture of him?"

Now Sungjong was staring. "A picture?"

"Y-yeah. So… So that I can see him even when I'm not here, you know… ?" Myungsoo shifted under Sungjong's gaze. "Is it weird?"

"… Honestly? Yes. I mean, why would you–"

"Here you are!" Sungyeol was suddenly there, bright gummy smile and drink in hand. He handed Myungsoo his. "A cappuccino for you–"

"Oh, t-thanks–"

"And a strawberry mochaccino for–"

The bell chimed at that very moment, announcing that someone had just walked in.

"Oh, look who's here," Jiae drawled from behind the counter.

Sungyeol twisted his body around, arm still outstretched as he handed Sungjong his drink. His eyes widened slightly, a half-grin appearing on his face. "Wow, you actually showed up? I thought you were going to sleep in today."

"Got something to take care of," the new arrival muttered. Myungsoo looked at him. He didn't look like your usual costumer, oversized t-shirt hanging loosely off his frame, a pair of tracksuit trousers that would have probably been short on someone of the proper size but that reached all the way down to this guy's legs, only leaving his ankles uncovered. A mop of uncombed caramel-coloured hair fell messily into his already small eyes, making his expression unreadable; the little flesh that his outfit revealed looked soft, smooth. Myungsoo concluded appreciatively that he'd probably make a pretty good cuddle partner.

(He still liked Sungyeol more, though.)

Sungyeol's laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hyung, what are you wearing?" he hollowed.

"He's got the sandals, too," Jiae pointed out in what was probably a light-hearted tone for her. Myungsoo glanced at the guy's feet, curious, and… well. He might not know much about fashion, but even he could tell that those were pretty ugly sandals.

"What?" the guy grumbled. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing," Sungyeol said, "but you might just as well have come wearing your pyjamas."

The guy finally looked in their direction. He was probably glaring, if the way his narrowed eyes had turned into thin angry lines was any indication. "Does this look like my pyjamas to you? Huh?"

"Well, it does bear a very strong resemblance."

The guy looked like he was going to reiterate, but he must have decided that would be too much effort, because in the end he just turned away and made for the nearest chair, plopping down and sprawling his legs all over it.

"Yah, Sungyeol!" he said, snapping his fingers. "Make me some coffee, will you."

Sungyeol snorted. "You're kidding me, right? Make it yourself."

"Huh?"

"I'm not your slave."

"What slave? It's your job!"

"It's my job to make coffee for the customers, yes. Not for you." Then, before the guy could say anything, "Why don't you make me some, for a change?"

"What–"

"You're the king of coffee, aren't you? And it's been ages since I last drank something you made. It'd only be fair."

The guy was staring at Sungyeol, as if he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. "Seriously, you–" he made to reiterate, but once again, he didn't. He just hoisted himself back up to his feet and dragged his body behind the counter, disappearing into the kitchen as he muttered something under his breath.

"And then they complain that I'm never here, the two damn–"

"Blah blah blah," Sungyeol said, rolling his eyes. He met Myungsoo's gaze, and grinned. "That was your first time meeting him, right? I guess you could say you're lucky. He's hardly ever here."

"O-oh," Myungsoo breathed, trying to find the courage to ask who, exactly, this guy was. Thankfully, Sungjong did it for him. "A colleague of yours?"

Sungyeol blinked. "What? Oh, no, no–he's the guy who owns this place. My boss, basically."

Myungsoo stared.

Boss?

He'd already guessed from the causal way Sungyeol and Jiae acted around the guy that he was no costumer, but… the boss? That sleepy, cuddly-looking guy?

"Here," Sungyeol was saying, pointing at a framed picture on the wall. "That's when we got the Seoul Coffee Award."

Myungsoo looked at the picture–again. He already had many times before; it would have been hard not to, with how it was hanging in the centre of the shop, for everyone to see. In it, a guy was standing in front of this same café, holding some kind of certificate, the shadow of a smile on his face. He was wearing a suit, his hair slicked back elegantly; a charming, if not handsome young man. Myungsoo had often found himself gazing at him, wondering who he was.

And now seemed as good a chance as any to finally ask. "Uh… who's the man in the picture?"

Sungyeol looked at him, eyebrows raised slightly. "You can't tell?"

"Uh?"

"You just met him. It's Sunggyu–my boss."

What?!

Myungsoo did a double take. He looked at the picture again, trying to overlap it with that of the shabbily clad guy that was, apparently, Sungyeol's boss. No way. "They–they're the same person?" he blurted out, unable to stop himself.

Sungyeol chuckled. "Yeah. You would never guess looking at him now, but he actually looks good when he tries–"

"Sungyeol!" Came Sunggyu's warning voice from the kitchen. "I can hear you!"

"I know~" Sungyeol called back, grinning. "He's smarter than he looks, too–something of a genius, really." He nodded towards Sungjong's cup. "The thing you're drinking right now? He invented it."

Sungjong's eyes flew wide open, a rare sight for Myungsoo's ever-so-composed hoobae. "He invented the strawberry mochaccino?"

Sungyeol hummed. "We could have made a business out of it, opened a chain, but he didn't want to. A pain in the , he said." He rolled his eyes. "He preferred opening this one shop–at an airport since it's easy to get a steady influx of costumers here–and selling the copyright for the mochaccino, the lazy bum."

Myungsoo stiffened, expecting Sunggyu to start protesting again, but no sound came from the kitchen.

"Wow," Sungjong said, sounding genuinely impressed. "All that, and at such a young age…"

"Oh, he's not that young. He's older than us–around 40 or something–"

"I'm 28!" Sunggyu screeched.

"28, 40, same thing," Sungyeol shrugged. "By the way, Sungjong, what do you think of my cof–"

Sunggyu suddenly stormed out of the kitchen, looking furious. He stalked over to their table and slammed a fuming cup of something on it. "Here's your coffee, you ungrateful brat–"

Sungyeol looked down at the cup. He blinked, then looked up at Sunggyu again, eyes wide. "You… you made it? For me?"

"Who else?" Sunggyu grumbled.

"...Wow!" A smile—a beautiful, luminous smile, Myungsoo thought to himself–broke out on Sungyeol's face. "Hyung is the best~"

"Oh, now I'm the best? I thought I was a lazy bum, or something."

"That was two minutes and one cappuccino ago~"

"Ah, you little–" Sunggyu began, but then he simply reached out and pinched Sungyeol's cheek. "So are you going to drink it or not?"

Sungyeol's grin disappeared behind the cup as he brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes in bliss. "Ah, this is heaven! Hyung's cappuccino is seriously the best!"

Sunggyu had been frowning all along, but his expression somewhat softened at that. "Only for you," he said.

A strange sound that was suspiciously similar to a "bleargh" was heard from Jiae's general direction, but neither Sunggyu nor Sungyeol seemed to have heard it—or if they had, they didn't care. Not with the way they were looking right into each other's eyes, Sunggyu's hand still on Sungyeol's cheek, thumb brushing against it softly–

Sungyeol's eye suddenly caught Myungsoo's, and he seemed to stiffen. "A-anyway," he said, taking Sunggyu's hand and moving it away from his cheek—although Myungsoo thought he saw him squeeze it, briefly, before letting go. "You guys should should try hyung's cappuccino too!"

"Yah," Sunggyu was scowling as Sungyeol passed the cup over to Myungsoo. "I made it for you."

"Seriously?" Sungyeol snorted. "What are you, 5?Just let them enjoy it, too. Who knows when they'll have the chance to try your coffee again."

"Are you sure it's OK?" Sungjong said, voicing Myungsoo's thoughts. "I mean, I don't want to–"

"It's fine, it's fine," Sungyeol said, smiling. "Oh–by the way, hyung, I still haven't introduced you to–"

Myungsoo could distantly hear the pleasant sound of Sungyeol's voice as he and Sunggyu made small talk with Sungjong, but he wasn't listening. He was too busy watching. Because Sunggyu's hands hadn't left Sungyeol's body: they lingered, one hand resting lightly on Sungyeol's hip while they other ran up and down his side, as if trying to smooth nonexistent creases on his perfectly ironed shirt. Said hand eventually settled on the other side of Sungyeol's waist, finger slipping inside a belt loop, curling around it. Sungyeol's own hand followed, almost distractedly, brushing and hooking fingers with Sunggyu's until they were all tangled. Sunggyu's free hand came up to cover Sungyeol's as it lay intertwined with his own, its back lazily. It was almost hypnotizing, the way the fingers moved against each other; Myungsoo couldn't look away.

His gaze met Sungjong's. The younger had been looking at the hands, too, a strange expression on his face–

"–right, Myungsoo?"

Myungsoo started. He looked up to see both Sunggyu and Sungyeol looking back at him, somewhat expectantly. "W-what… ?"

"I was just telling hyung that you're one of our most loyal costumers," Sungyeol said. "You come here so often, and you don't even live in Incheon–"

"So you come all the way from Seoul?" Sunggyu cut him off, gazing straight at Myungsoo with those narrow, somewhat unsettling eyes of his. As if he were trying to size him up, or something. "What, are you a frequent flyer or something?"

Myungsoo swallowed. "Uh… N-not quite–"

"He just likes my coffee," Sungyeol said brightly. "Isn't that enough of a reason?"

Sunggyu raised his eyebrows. "A one-hour-long trip and back just for some coffee?"

"It's not some coffee," Sungyeol said, "it's my coffee. What, is it so hard to believe? You're not the only one who makes good coffee, hyung–"

Sunggyu looked at Myungsoo, then back at Sungyeol. "You're really oblivious, aren't you?" he sighed, letting go of Sungyeol's hand to pat his cheek.

Sungyeol blinked. Frowned. "Uh?"

"Nevermind." Sunggyu turned to look at Myungsoo again. "Yah, Myungsoo–that's your name, isn't it?"

"Y-y-yes?" Myungsoo squeaked, feeling very much like a kid being called out by a teacher in class, waiting to be scolded.

Yet to his surprise, Sunggyu's expression relaxed into a warm smile–unexpectedly warm, with the way his eyes disappeared into cute crescents and his cheeks scrunched up, revealing their squishiness. "How's the coffee?"

Myungsoo blinked, at a loss for a moment, then–"O-oh." He hastily–clumsily–reached out for the cup Sungyeol had handed him. He brought it to his lips, sipping it nervously–

"So?" Sunggyu prompted.

"I… It's…" Myungsoo's mouth opened and closed, like a fish. "It's… "

"It's delicious," Sungjong breathed. He'd taken the cup from Myungsoo and was now holding it in his hands, a half-befuddled, half-ecstatic expression on his face that probably mirrored Myungsoo's right now. "Wow, this is just–I don't even like cappuccino all that much, but–"

"Right?" Sungyeol said. He was grinning, yet there was something in his expression–something off that Myungsoo couldn't quite place. "I told you, hyung's coffee is really the best. Mine can't compare, I'm afraid."

"Oh, shut up," Sunggyu scoffed. "Your coffee's good."

Sungyeol shrugged. "Not as good as yours."

"That's because it's me. Yours is fine by normal standard."

"… Ah, yeah. I guess someone like me should be happy my coffee's at least average. Not everyone can reach up to your exceptional standards, right hyung?"

"Oh come on–you know I didn't mean it like that–"

"I think that's exactly how you meant–"

"I-it's good!"

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on him, and Myungsoo froze. . He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the words had found their way past his lips before he could even realise it.

"What?" Sungyeol said, looking genuinely confused. Myungsoo really wished the earth would open and swallow him whole, and fast, because having Sungyeol's big doe eyes on him like this was too much for his poor heart. But then he remembered the dark look on Sungyeol's face, the way his expression had fallen ever so slightly, and he soldiered on.

"Your coffee," he blurted out. "It's-it's good. Really good."

Sungyeol smiled, but it wasn't the bright smile Myungsoo had grown accustomed to. There were no gums, no sparkling eyes. "Thanks, Myungsoo… But–"

"I mean it," Myungsoo continued, surprising even himself with his boldness. "It's very good." He glanced at Sunggyu, bowed nervously. "Sunggyu-ssi's coffee is great, too–truly delicious–but for me… I–I like Sungyeol-ssi's coffee the best."

Sungyeol was staring at him, eyes as wide and round as saucepans. A shy, tentative smile spread across his face. "R-really?"

Myungsoo nodded quickly. "I-It's the best coffee I've ever had–my favourite in the whole world–"

"Are you talking about the coffee," Sungjong said, smiling, "Or the maker?"

"W-w-w-what?" Myungsoo spluttered.

Sungyeol simply stood there, blinking at them. "The maker… ?"

Myungsoo looked away, desperately trying to think of something, anything to say, when his eye fell on Sunggyu. He had been too flustered to notice it before, but the elder was gazing at him again, the cold, calculating look back into his eyes. But before Myungsoo had time to process the thought Sunggyu was already turning away, a hand on Sungyeol's arm. "Sungyeol."

"What–"

But Sungyeol couldn't continue, because Sunggyu's lips were suddenly on his. It was only for a moment, and then Sungyeol was pushing him away, flustered.

"He-hey!" he snapped, but any protest was swallowed by Sunggyu as he took Sungyeol's chin and joined their lips together again.

To Sunggyu's defense, Sungyeol didn't seem to be against it, not really. The hands that had been pushing Sunggyu away at first had somehow found their way down Sunggyu's body and were now wrapped around his waist, as if trying to pull Sunggyu even closer–which would have been impossible with the way they were already pressed flush against each other, as tightly as could be.

Myungsoo cold feel his face grow red to the roots as he witnessed the make out session going on in front of him. He had never really seen anyone kiss before–unless you counted anime or dramas, and Myungsoo had already kind of figured out that that puckering of lips wasn't exactly how people did it in real life. It was… weird, the way their lips kept chasing each other–and wait, was that a tongue?

Myungsoo realised he had been staring only when Sunggyu finally broke the kiss and turned to look straight into Myungsoo's eyes, smiling–or was that a smirk? Yet the look in his eyes wasn't unkind.

"You're a nice kid, Myungsoo. You can come here whenever you like and have all the coffee you want. But as for everything else…" Sunggyu ran a hand along Sungyeol's arm, almost casually. "I'm afraid it's off-limits. It's already taken, you see."

His fringe fell aside as he turned to face Sungyeol again, and for a moment, Myungsoo saw a glimpse of the cool guy in the picture. "Gotta go go now," Sunggyu said, reaching out to wipe his thumb along Sungyeol's cheek one last time. Sungyeol simply looked dazedly back at him, and Sungyeol smirk-smiled again. "See you at home, babe."

And then he turned around and walked leisurely out the cafè, Jiae's "The hell did he even come for?" blending with the sound of the door falling shut behind him.